This invention relates to liquid containers and, more particularly, to a container whereby liquids can be released from the container in a controlled fashion after the bottle has been inverted.
A common problem exists when one is attempting to pour liquid from a bottle into a receptacle where the receptacle is difficult to reach or is relatively small or the bottle must be tipped or partially inverted in order to reach the receptacle. This problem is encountered when replacing a drinking water five-gallon bottle that must be inverted on the dispensing stand or when adding a fuel additive to a fuel tank of an automobile, or adding oil to an engine, to name a few examples. Often, when attempting to pour the liquid into the relatively small receptacle, the liquid is spilled on the surrounding surface such as the paint on the side of the automobile. The spilled liquid may damage the paint or present an environmental hazard.
A similar problem exists when one is attempting to pour oil into an automobile engine crankcase. Typically the oil fill receptacle is located deep within the engine bay. This means that the process required to pour the oil from the open, disposable bottle will usually result in spillage of oil over the engine and the operator's hands before the target receptacle has been successfully hit by the spout of the opened oil bottle. Use of a funnel reduces the chance of spillage on the engine. However, pouring oil from a full bottle often nevertheless results in the oil spilling down the side of the funnel and consequently onto the engine or the operator's hands. Furthermore, most motorists will not have a funnel readily available.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bottle whereby liquids may be released from the bottle in a controlled fashion by the operator after the bottle has been inverted.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, a now preferred embodiment of this invention.